8/12/2015

We love this cute Italian tapas restaurant!

This place is surprisingly huge! There is inside and outside seating. Although, I do recommend sitting inside since Quartino is located at a busy intersection.

Their homemade bread with olive oil and vinaigrette is so good! We highly recommend ordering 2-3 dishes per person. My favorite dishes were the Soprano pizza, Veal Meatballs Napoli and Tortellini. I love how thin and crispy their pizza is. Dip the crust in the olive oil and vinaigrette, and you'll fall in love even more. The combination of the meatball with the golden raisin is quite a pleasant surprise. We loved eating the prosciutto with the tortellini. Also, you MUST get the Tiramisu. It's probably the best tiramisu I have ever had. AVOID the Angus Beef Carpaccio - it's super bland. I'm not a big fan of beets. But if you're looking for a vegetable dish, the beets are pretty good.

To be honest, there is a wide variety of dishes on the menu suitable for any guest. We highly recommend it for everyone! We will definitely come back and try some more dishes!

8/12/2015

As luck would have it, all the restaurants were closing on Navy Pier so I found this gem on Yelp and we took a quick bus ride into town.  

From start to finish, this is one of the best meal experiences we've had, and definitely the best we had in Chicago (hailing from California and my friend from New York).

The hostess was pleasant and took us to a nice table, the server was very attentive and down to earth.  We were explained that it's tapas style, however, my friend wanted a pizza and I wanted pasta w/sausage so we just ate our own, although I did steal a couple slices of the amazing Margherita pizza she had!  My pasta was ok, a bit more al dente than I'd prefer, but the sausage and light drizzle of sauce was very nice.  

Either a manager, or possibly the owner came over and offered drink refills, he was very pleasant.  The server was awesome!  I wish now I had gotten his name.

We topped off the meal with gelati, she had strawberry, I had chocolate.  It was soooo good!

8/11/2015

Disclaimer: I may have not ordered the best items on the menu...so this is only my take on what I ordered.

First time in Chicago and this place has an abundance of reviews on yelp so of course I have to stop by. My boyfriend and I split the sampler, in which we got two meats, gorgonzola+ Fontina cheese, roasted peppers, artichokes, and pickled veggies. I wasn't too impressed with anything we ordered in particular, but the pairings that our waitress brought to go with our cheeses were DELICIOUS! The Apricot puree was to die for, and I would've been perfectly fine with eating just that with our cheeses and some bread (in fact, I wish we could have just substituted that for everything else)

In addition, I ordered the Soprano pizza, which came with a TON of pickled veggies on top. I think this is a love/hate sorta item and I definitely wasn't loving the pickled toppings on my veal meatball pizza.

All in all, while I'm sure there are many wonderful things on their menu, I was just expecting something a little different from this place.

8/9/2015

Quartino is a lively neighborhood restaurant, serving Italian Tapas style. On a Thursday night, this place was packed. Every table was occupied. I really liked their outdoor dining area located at main entrance. It gave you that "Parisian" style atmosphere.

There is also a 2nd floor where there is a private area for large groups. It is especially nice if you are dining with more than 30 guests.  I would definitely recommend ordering their Braised Pork Shank. It was so good and the meat fell off the bone. Their bar drinks here were also fantastic, smooth and strong!!

If you happen to be in this neighborhood, come by and enjoy the local vibe. If you are dining for two, I'd recommend seating outdoor where you can enjoy your dinner, and feel like one of the locals!!

Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

• 

  Braised pork shank

  Braised pork shank
• 

  Artichokes and duck Prosciutto

  Artichokes and duck Prosciutto
• 

  Personalized pizza

  Personalized pizza
• See all photos from Edwin R. for Quartino

8/3/2015

Quartino. We decided to dine here because it has more reviews than Elvis has sightings.  It's an Italian tapas restaurant with a good size of beer selections.  It's a couple of blocks from Mag Mile.

The restaurant has two floors and the restroom is located on the 2nd floor. It baffles me why there isn't one on the first floor.  It's a very nice restaurant with a Chicago feel to it.  The service was good even though the waiter got one of our orders wrong.  

However, I didn't think it was his mistake cause my friend's friend was being wishy washy on what she wanted to eat.  She didn't exactly explained what she wanted very well and I found it annoying the way she was acting when the dish came out. Plus, the trick a$$ kept calling me Steven instead Steve even after she requested to add me on FB during lunch.  

Anyway, onto the cibo. That's food for people who don't speak French at an Italian restaurant. Seriously. Get a clue, folks.

1) Calamari - The batter on the Calamari was crispy and light.  The Calamari was cooked just right but my only issue was it was a bit too salty. I usually like salty food but this had me drinking my beer faster than a drunk Irish sailor.

2) Veal Sliders - This was my favorite dish out of everything we tried.  The Sliders were cooked medium rare.  It juicy, flavorful and tender.  There was a touch of marinara sauce which added a tangy zest to it and comforting taste. The bread was toasted and fluffy at the same time.

3) Beef Ribs - This was my second favorite dish.  The ribs were cooked very well and it was easy to cut.  It was really tender and full of flavor.  The meat tore apart very easily like a perfectly cooked stack of ribs where the meet falls right off the bone.  In addition, it didn't take much chewing which I like cause I don't like to put much effort into getting fat.

4) Beef Carpaccio - This was a big let down.  The Angus Beef wasn't bad but it was raw so how bad could it really be right?  I didn't think the cheese and onions went well with the Carpaccio like Kanye West at award shows. I felt it was an utter failure like people trying to get healthy every year for their new year's resolution.  Brace yourselves.  The "New Year.  New Me" posts are coming, folks.

Overall, the food was decent but it wasn't amazing or anything unforgettable.  Would I come here again? Probably not.  We should have gone with our first choice which was the Purple Pig.

• 

  The patio seating IG @AmbitionsOfATraveler

  The patio seating IG @AmbitionsOfATraveler
• 

  the menu IG @AmbitionsOfATraveler

  the menu IG @AmbitionsOfATraveler

8/7/2015

Porcini mushroom and truffle risotto - it was so tiny! I wanted more. The truffle taste wasn't strong but I enjoyed the dish a lot; maybe because I was starving.
Fungi pizza - very salty dough? I was hoping the mushrooms gave it a nice kick but it didn't.
Bread with balsamic vinaigrette? This is what bread is paired with apparently..give me the butter or olive oil!!

Overall, I'm not sure what's so great about this restaurant.

• 

  Fungi pizza

  Fungi pizza
• 

  Salmon

  Salmon
• 

  Porcini mushroom and truffle risotto

  Porcini mushroom and truffle risotto
• See all photos from Canny F. for Quartino

8/2/2015

Was riding solo tonight on my work trip and I decided to wander around and saw this place, looked it up on yelp and decided to come here.  

This place is huge, outdoor seating, indoor seating (two floors), bar and lounge seating.  I didn't want to wait so I went to the bar.  The guy was really nice and I was able to have a decent conversation with him.  

This place serves tapas and believe it or not, I was able to get half a tapa (didn't know until he said that option was available) woohoo, allowing me to try more dishes.  

I had the:

Polenta fries - it was fried cornmeal, the batter was a little on the heavy side but I was able to taste the flavor, not a bad dish

Fried calamari - was flavorful and very fresh, still thought the batter was a bit much but it was fried pretty good and crunchy.

Linguine with clams - the clams were fresh and the linguine was cooked to perfection, decent portion for a tapas place.

Tiramisu - very bad, there was so much powder on the tiramisu that I practically choked on the powder, it's like breathing powder up your lungs, I told the bar guy the honest truth about this (cuz he asked) and he claims to agree with me.  

It is quite a vibrant place and the prices are reasonable.  If you don't mind sitting at the bar, then go for it.

• 

  Calamari

  Calamari
• 

  Linguine with clams

  Linguine with clams
• 

  Polenta fries

  Polenta fries
• See all photos from Bakchun K. for Quartino

6/29/2015

I know, I know, Chicago is the land of the deep dish pizza.  But Quartino had great reviews on Yelp and was only a block from our hotel so it kinda seemed like a no-brainer for lunch.  And it ended up being a great meal...

Hubs and I started with a spinach salad w/ pears, walnuts, & ricotta salata ($7.50).  Doesn't that sound good?  I thought so - but the salad had wayyy too many walnuts and barely any slices of pear.  The dressing it was all tossed in was lovely though.  Yummy salad, despite its lack of pear.

And then there was the pizza. We selected a half sausage half pepperoni and, gosh, was it good.  Chewy bubbly crust, sweet sauce, fresh melted mozzarella cheese.  So good!  And you know how sometimes you order a pizza with toppings and wonder where the toppings are.  Not at Quartino.  The entire pie was covered w/ sausage and pepperoni.  A pizza and salad are both good sizes if you wanted to share w/ your date.

Everything was really good and filling, yet we didn't leave feeling heavy.  On my next visit to Chicago I'm totally going back to Quartino!

A few other things of note -
The place is huge!  There's tables outside on the patio, two bars, a main dining room downstairs and another upstairs.
Its also beauuutiful inside.  It was one of the more authentic Italian restaurants I've been to with its open kitchen, rustic simple finishes, bread and slicer situated right in the middle of the dining room.  That bread was really good too.
Restrooms are located upstairs and past the 2nd bar.  And they are just as beautiful as the rest of the place.

• 

  half sausage / half pepperoni

  half sausage / half pepperoni
• 

  Looking down to the main bar.

  Looking down to the main bar.
• 

  Main dining room.

  Main dining room.
• See all photos from Alyssa P. for Quartino

8/8/2015

Lovely outdoor seating!

Order:
Baby Spinach Salad
Tortellini
Sausage Risotto***

***fav

The food was delicious - great flavor and decent portions, especially the sausage risotto. We came here for a late lunch/quick bite and our server was very nice and sped up the order for us. All in all, if you happen to be around the area and start feeling hungry, Quartino is a solid choice. Might come back for their $25 three course menu for two.

• 

  Baby spinach salad. Tortellini. & Sausage Risotto

  Baby spinach salad. Tortellini. & Sausage Risotto

8/1/2015

Quartino is Italian small plates. You get multiple dishes and share them among friends. You can also large carafes of wine (the wine we chose was $20/liter).

We went to Quartino with a group of 7 girls. Our server was super friendly and greeted us quickly. He came by often so we could order multiple rounds of small plates. Service was attentive. We always had water and bread even though th restaurant was full of lots of people celebrating.

Everything we ordered was very good. We had bruschetta, tortellini, wine, eggplant Parmesan, pizza, dessert, and more. Our server made great recommendations and helped pick out special things for our group.

I thought that my dinner was reasonable. It was $30 including tip and alcohol and dessert (we even had house made Limoncello- very good).

My only compliant is that the restaurant is very loud. It was difficult to hear the people across the table, and I like to be able to talk to my friends over dinner.

I would get reservations here and get the margarita pizza! Yum!

7/23/2015

I wanted to like Quartino more than I did. I'm hovering between 3 and 4 stars, but to be honest, they're more like 3.25 stars, so I gotta round down!

First and foremost, if you want to come here, make a reservation, even if it's a weeknight. My sister and I visited on a weeknight and the entry area was chaotic with people wanting to get a table and the place was hoppin'. We were definitely glad to be in the minority of people who actually made reservations.

Our service was friendly, but spotty. We each ordered the tomato soup to start, but they brought them out one by one, so that my sister was almost done with hers by the time mine arrived. That seemed really odd. The soup was really good with nice chunks of tomato floating in a thick tomato puree.

My sister also ordered a couple of veggie dishes and I ordered the Bianca Pizza, all of which came out relatively close together. My sister like her veggie items, but the potato puree she ordered was just too rich for her to eat much of it. My Bianca Pizza was ok, but not spectacular. They overdid it on the onions which would have been much better if they had been caramelized and the other ingredients, rosemary and chilis, were too sparse. I ended up taking most of it back to my hotel for breakfast and then ended up dumping most of the leftovers in the garbage because I just couldn't stomach more of it.

Our waiter took my sister's potato puree off the tab, which was nice. She hadn't actually complained about it and we would have been happy to pay for it. My sister gave me some cash to help cover her portion and I gave our waiter the cash and my credit card and he agreed to charge the difference between the bill and the cash tendered. When the credit card receipt was presented, the cash was gone and he had charged the entire amount of the bill to my card. I would like to think the best of people, but I kinda think he was hoping I wouldn't notice so he could pocket the cash. He did rerun my card, so I'm hoping it went through correctly and there are not duplicate charges. I will know in a few days.

This is a restaurant that I think probably has potential to be great, but the service was off and food wasn't consistently great. Next time I visit, I definitely will not make a beeline for Quartino.

6/7/2015

Keeping it simple this time... Ranked in order:

1. Campania pizza - founduta and house made ricotta. Enough said, amazing! I will be back to just sit at the bar and have this pizza.
2. Prosciutto San Daniele - guess why I picked it? It was so soft, thin and luxurious I couldn't stand it.
3. Steamed Clams - Pinot Grigio and red chili broth. Not too strong but strong enough and the bread for dipping is wonderful.
4. Asiago Vecchio - lovely cheese, make sure you pair it with the apricot.
5. Manzo pizza - short rib was super flavorful, pesto was amazing but a little too much fennel for my taste.
6. Polenta Fries - they are what they say, polenta. The dipping sauce is needed. I guess I wanted these badly because so many people posted on yelp but I wouldn't go back for those. Much better options on the menu!

Lastly. Wine, service and atmosphere made me happy. We will return!

• 
• 
• 

  Half and half pizza campanina and manzo

  Half and half pizza campanina and manzo
• See all photos from Danielle S. for Quartino

8/5/2015

This is an extremely buzzing place! I have been here thrice and each time had to a good time. The atmosphere is hip, people are chik and food is slick!

This was my first time visiting with my family. Ordered vegetarian dishes. 2 out of 3 dishes were good. The bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar never fails. Service is fast, family style dining, a must visit place!

• 

  Deconstructed Cavatelli for my kid

  Deconstructed Cavatelli for my kid
• 

  Asparagus risotto

  Asparagus risotto

6/7/2015

This place was recommended to us by our hotel bartender. We called to make reservations but they said they didn't have any availability till after 10pm (we called shorty after 5pm).  We decided to be adventurous and chance it hoping to get two spots at the bar, we lucked out got a table! So much for an after 10pm reservation. Lol  we were glad we chanced it because it was a great meal.  Loved how they leave a whole bottle of tap water at the table! I hate waiting for water refills when I'm thirsty.  We had great service and fun lively atmosphere. Definitely a busy place upstairs and downstairs. We intended on saving room for dessert since I viewed some great pictures on yelp, but in the end we were way too stuffed from everything else.  

-veal sliders 4/5
-calamari 5/5
-shrimp 5/5
-shrimp risotto 4.5/5
-spaghetti and meatballs 3.5/5

Everything was small plate style which allowed us to try a bunch of items.  Love that. Overall 4.5, would go back.

• 

  Spaghetti and meatballs...3.5/5

  Spaghetti and meatballs...3.5/5
• 

  Veal sliders..very good

  Veal sliders..very good
• 

  Calamari...big...definitely try!

  Calamari...big...definitely try!
• See all photos from Corine M. for Quartino

5/31/2015

I realized that I had eaten at the top 5 yelpiest places in Chicago except for this so I had to get this as my last dinner. I was quite excited because Davanti was legit. I made reservations for a Monday night but it wasnt necessary at all since it is hugeee. I vote Davanti.

1) Polenta fries- it was just a thick fried thing so I wouldnt get it.
2) Gnocchi- This was carby and filling but I didnt prefer it.
3) Veal Meatballs- I loved the meatballs at Davanti but these were just not flavorful or as good as I would hope so.
4) Mushroom Pizza- this was pretty decent and what I mostly ate since I like mushrooms.
5) Cauliflower- this was just a head of cauliflower. It was actually not good or flavorful so I would definitely pass.
6) Seafood pasta- You can choose between red or white sauce. We chose white but I still didnt find it very flavorful. It did have quite a few bits of seafood.

• 

  Seafood pasta

  Seafood pasta
• 

  Cauliflower

  Cauliflower
• 

  Mushroom pizza

  Mushroom pizza
• See all photos from Amy H. for Quartino

8/2/2015

The food was amazing and our set Francesca was so awesome. Very attentive and super friendly. Would highly recommend to anyone.

MUST TRY the desert ~ profiteroles ! See pic attached

• 

  My desert was out of this world delicious

  My desert was out of this world delicious

8/8/2015

It's an ok place.  Food was decent, but not a big wower.  Atmosphere, outdoor area is good, indoors is not appealing.

8/3/2015

I'm extremely torn on writing anything about this place.

On the one hand, our visit here was a mess. On the other hand, we received abundant apologies from one of the restaurant group's managers Alysia. In terms of post-dinner customer service, this place deserves more than two stars for their effort to change our impression. But, for the dinner-as-experienced, this place still earns a Yelp "Meh. I've experienced better."

We ate here late, after missing the kitchen at another restaurant during our recent visit to Chicago. It wasn't our first pick and a veteran of many a late-night eat, I tend to keep expectations fairly low no-matter the star-level because, well, staff get tired, people want to go home, etc, etc and so forth.

Even so, our visit here started out reasonable. They have outdoor seating and we were seated back towards what *is* an active driveway. Okay, not ideal. But, did I mention we were extremely hungry? Our server explained the menu to us - Italian tapas, communal serving, no control of the order dishes come to the table. Fine, fine, sounds good to us. But, the initial ordering was the beginning and end of consistent interaction with the staff.

To start we ordered, three dishes for the table. One broccoli rabe side order, one fettucine alfredo, one stracci di grano arso. As we had never been here before and were unsure of the portion size to anticipate, we kept the initial order light.

The broccoli rabe came out speedily enough. Parts of it were burnt to a crisp, not charred, while other parts were slimey. It wasn't great, it wasn't good, but, it wasn't awful either. Just inconsistent in texture in a non-pleasing way. Eh, fine, onwards.

Second order: was plunked down by a woman who seemed ridiculously harried to get back to wherever she had came from. It felt like she threw it down on the table and disappeared. This was the fettucine alfredo. My grandmother always said fettucine alfredo is not a "true italian" dish, it's a bastard american cousin. Even so, this second dish was hardly anything American or Italian. The noodles weren't 'al dente' they were just straight undercooked and clumped together in a fashion you'd see from someone who had only today learned to cook pasta. Parts of them were hard, parts of them were soft. My dining partner said the sauce tasted "doughy", like in a rush they had thickened it with too much flour. And to make perhaps the most pedantic complaint of all (so pedantic I'm cringing at myself), these noodles were pappardelle. There are philosophical arguments about what is fettuccine, what is tagliatelle, what is pappardelle and what belongs in fettucine alfredo - as they're all wider-flat noodles. But, what I can tell you is a super-thick undercooked-over-floured sauce is pretty unpleasant with partially cooked thicker-than-the-average-fettucine noodles all congealed into an inedible clump. This dish wasn't pleasing at all. But, as I said before, we were hungry and it was late.

Third plate: The third plate never came. An apology about the third plate never coming did come. But, by then we had pretty much formed the impression something here was broken tonight. Because of the way their ordering process works you really have no way of knowing if the kitchen is backed up and taking a long time or, as in our case, they've forgotten you completely and sent your dish to another table by mistake.

Pros:
-Their kitchen was open when we were visiting

Cons:
-In the spirit of being true to yelp, we didn't have a very good meal here. Or really enough to count as a meal here. We ordered three dishes, were served two barely edible ones and a third was forgotten about by the staff and/or misdirected to another table.

That said, we were abundantly compensated for our time and negative experience with apologies, comped half-dinner and a gift card to come back and try them again next time.

I've only very rarely seen such active image management at anywhere other than the finest restaurant in New York. For being so attentive post-dinner they really deserve all the stars. However, the whole experience did make me wonder if they retain such high yelp rating through effective 'damage control' or if we really did catch the fluke-of a fluke-of a fluke, of an evening.

We have a gift card. I can't say whether or not we'll be back next time we're in the Chicago area. Our experience was fairly disappointing.

7/31/2015

I met a family member here for dinner, and was surprised how packed it was.  As a tourist visiting Chicago for the first time, this wasn't the type of restaurant I thought Chicago was known for, and when my ten year old son saw the wine bottle sign, he thought it was a bar.

They seated us right away (I had made a reservation) and we had a truly amazing meal.  Fantastic service, with attentiveness I have had in only a few restaurants.  Seriously, they were on all the needs of the table.

The atmosphere was loud, but comfortable.  Seems to be all types, all ages, from office workers to people on a date, to families.  

Tried the duck flatbread, a fantastic kale salad, and a few other things including a pasta dish that was fantastic.  Really a great experience all the way around.

7/10/2015

Italian food has never been anything so special to me (always just satisfying, not mind blowing) but Quartino has been a restaurant I find myself coming back to again and again: perfect for date night, ladies night, large groups, small groups. It's Italian food tapas-style, which makes it even more fun. The ambiance is adorable, not too quiet or loud, candles, and the waiters wear soccer jerseys.

Some of my favorites:
- Shrimp Risotto: Great portions of shrimp, good textured risotto.
- Angus Carpaccio: Fresh, light, and an amazing appetizer to share. Always seem to get this.
- Veal meatballs: Loved these!
- Linguine and clams: Never had this but my boyfriend loves it with the white wine sauce.
- Tortellini: Served with prosciutto, peas, and alfredo sauce... heavy but delicious.
- Tagliatelle: Wonderful wonderful.
- Profiteroles & Fondue: Fun desserts, good portions for the price!

Honestly you cannot go wrong here given the variety, great service, and fun atmosphere. The prices are great for the quality of food.

7/4/2015

My wife and I stopped in here for lunch on a weekend and it was not busy at all. Less than a year ago we went on our honeymoon to Italy and I almost felt like I was back there a bit with some of the food and décor.

Overall we really enjoyed this place from the cheese plate to the amazing ravioli. Nice chunks of delicious cheese that we pretty much could have just chowed on alone. The slider was good but kind of small for what you get I suppose. That was really the only complaint though. I would definitely come back to Quartino to try more.

7/6/2015

Very tasty food, and excellent service.

We sat at an outdoor patio on the weekend, which can get busy. Can't comment on the interior as we sat outdoors the entire time. The wine is a little pricy. Eggplant parmesan is delicious, one of the best I had in Chicago. We also tried the fettuccine alfredo, which wasn't bad either. Overall, definitely recommend trying this place out if you're in the neighborhood.

3/31/2015

Quartino is a high quality, tapas-style Italian place, so if you're on a budget, it is key to note that some of the dishes are available as half portions (mostly pasta and seafood plates)! This means you can try more things without sacrificing too much financially!

Of course, Quartino is still by no means cheap. For my friend and I, our bill still came out to be ~$50 (with tax and tip) for 3-4 plates and a 1/2 liter of wine. But everything we ate was phenomenal!

My personal favorites were the roasted baby octopus and the duck prosciutto. The baby octopus was tender, well seasoned, and served alongside some greens. Such magic. The duck prosciutto was served in tiny pieces, but each bite was so deliciously fatty and flavorful that we were able to make it last for quite awhile.

Ultimately, this is worth the visit. Think you'll still be hungry? You can always stuff yourself with free bread (the college student way), or plan to come here for a pre-dinner snack.

• 

  Cavatelli (with Ricotta & Basil)

  Cavatelli (with Ricotta & Basil)
• 

  Roasted Baby Octopus

  Roasted Baby Octopus
• 

  Duck Prosciutto & Asiago Vecchio

  Duck Prosciutto & Asiago Vecchio

6/25/2015

Really nice place, best for a doble date ir group if six, since to get to try a lot of dishes and flavors. Wine is great price, we got a montepulciano and we liked a lot, sliced salad, baby spinach salad, asparagus risotto, salmon, gnochi ( my least favorite) home made sausage, all were great and Michael the manager made us tried the zepolle and was good( not my favorite dessert since i dont care for deep fried) convinient fir us since we stayed at the embassy suites on state.
A must try place... And the hostess were all great... Nice blonde smiles

• 

  Soup of the day... Nice pot

  Soup of the day... Nice pot
• 

  End

  End
• 

  Third page menu... To be continued

  Third page menu... To be continued
• See all photos from Larry L. for Quartino

7/29/2015

Folks, this place must be resting on its 4 star rating because this was a well below average experience. For the record, I sat at the bar. For starters, I've had better customer service at the DMV. The only consistency was the poor attentiveness. FYI, there was hardly a soul at the bar, and for that matter, the restaurant.

The caprese was pretty crummy. Mozzarella was whatever and the tomatoes looked like, and tasted, like they were a week old. I ordered the "homemade" the lamb sausage pizza. The crust tasted like bread stick. The rest was just tasteless. My Barbara was at least good but then that has nothing to do with the restaurant.

4/17/2015

I arrived at 8pm. They said it would be a 30min wait for a party of 2.

Luckily we went inside and found seating at the bar. The bar isn't only the bar table, the random small tables to the right of the bar table includes the bar room. Full menus and amazing service.

The bread was so delicious. Soft and moist. Be sure to ask for vinegar because they don't give it to you unless requested.

The short rib was so small. It was very soft and the meat just melted in my mouth. The problem with this was that it was somewhat bland. There wasn't as much flavor as I had hoped. 6/10 on this

We also ordered the linguine with clams. The clams were awesome. Get the white rather than red. This was yummy. Extremely oily and greasy but good nonetheless. I don't think I would come back because it wasn't anything spectacular that I couldn't find in Los Angeles, CA but it's a good experience.

• 

  Linguine and clams.

  Linguine and clams.
• 

  Short ribs. Very soft and tender meat

  Short ribs. Very soft and tender meat

3/22/2015

I had high expectations for Quartino but I'm not sure I was blown away by the food or the atmosphere. The food was just okay but nothing that other tapas bars can't replicate or execute better. We ordered some of the more popular dishes like polenta fries, veal sliders, shrimp and sausage risotto.  My favorite was probably the polenta fries since I've never had it presented that way before. It also came out piping hot which was a plus. Veal sliders were decent and my friends seem to liked them quite a bit.  

I was not as impressed with the infamous pork shank. Ours came out dry and was tough overall.  It tasted a lot like leather after chewing my way through my first bite. However, as I got to the center of the shank, it got better and the meat did indeed slide off the bone.

My biggest gripe though, is the seating arrangement. I get that restaurants want to utilize their real estate as much as possible, especially when they're likely paying both arms and legs for competitive spaces smack-dab in the middle of downtown.  However, this place takes it up a notch as you can probably taste the food of tables around you if you tried hard enough.  Again, I don't blame them for doing this to accommodate their large volume of customers but I had hoped for a less intimate experience with the foodies that night.

• 

  Shrimp.

  Shrimp.
• 

  Pork shank. Not as good as I was hoping for.

  Pork shank. Not as good as I was hoping for.
• 

  Risotto.

  Risotto.
• See all photos from Quoc N. for Quartino

4/5/2015

Wanted to take my wife some place special for our Pre-anniversary dinner date and chose Quartino. We came here on time and were seated immediately. We were first given a small table which was good enough to place just glasses and glass water bottle, hence my wife requested a bigger table and we were offered one which was kind of them. The place was pretty loud and was crowded (it was Saturday night so not surprised). We ordered pizza, egg plant Parmesan, polenta fries, and the white bean and garlic dip. Of these the pizza was good, polenta fries was average and white bean dip was average. The egg plant Parmesan was not anything great, i have definitely had better. Though we were so full I wanted to get some desert to make us feel happy :P

So ordered the Torta al Cioccolato, which was like s scoop of venilla ice-cream on top of molten hot chocolate cake. That was really yummy and we both loved it. On the whole the place had great ambiance, great service, average food and great desert options.

• 

  Torta chocolate

  Torta chocolate
• 

  White bean and garlic dip

  White bean and garlic dip
• 

  Egg plant Parmesan

  Egg plant Parmesan
• See all photos from Govi S. for Quartino

7/22/2015

Our last meal in Chicago and what a great find!

We went straight for the salumeria tasting for two for obvious reasons.  You can find pizzas and pastas everywhere, but rarely you encounter a place that cure their own meats on site.  And it was divine!  The duck prosciutto, truffle salame, Sicilian caponata were just superb.  All that paired with dry crisp proseco and sitting by the side walk, was just perfect.  The service was fantastic, attentive and helpful.

The price was super reasonable too.  Good luck trying for find anything of that caliber in SF for that price.  I only wish I had more room in my stomach to try their tortellini..., and not having wasted my money and time w/ the deep dish pizzas.   But what a pleasant find.  Very very happy w/ them.

Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5 (this place is just amazing! It has the old school charm and class but modern quality and sanitation).  Love it love it love it!

7/2/2015

Great pizza. Thin crispy pepperoni. The olive plate was also good. They have professional and friendly staff. They took extra measure to find us can coke. I love this place.
The ambiance is very Italian. I had one of the best pizza.

• 

  Italian movie

  Italian movie

8/13/2015

I really wanted to love this but it was just ok. After returning from Italy no pizza has been able to please me and theirs also didn't rise to the occasion but their pasta dishes were pretty good. Had a shot of lemonchello that was just ok as well.

5/24/2015

This is a great Italian restaurant in the city. Everything is shareable and delicious. Our waiter was very nice and patient with our questions, since it was our first time visiting!
While we were seated on their front patio we experience flocks of bachelorette parties.

We got the following...
Appetizers:
~Fried calamari- very meaty and tender, just right. Not too much batter.
~Bacon wrapped dates- nice crisp outside, tasty cheese on the inside, right amount of sweetness. Mouthgasmic combination!!!!!!

Entrees:
~Spaghetti & meatballs- for such a simple dish... this was AMAZING!!! The marinara sauce was full of flavor and tasted very fresh and homemade!
~Linguini & Clams~ I got the red wine sauce. It had some tomatoes, sliced peppers, sliced garlic, and yummy clams!
-Shrimp Risotto- it was alright.. It's like porridge. I won't be getting this again

Dessert:
~Banana Ice Cream with Fried Banana & Biscotti- DELICIOUS!!! Sweet, of course, and a nice combination of textures.
~Molton Chocolate Soufflé with a scoop of vanilla ice cream- delectable creamy and velvety chocolate center that takes you to chocolate heaven. If you're a chocolate lover like myself, this is a must!

• 

  Banana ice cream with banana and biscotti

  Banana ice cream with banana and biscotti
• 

  Chocolate Soufflé

  Chocolate Soufflé
• 

  Shrimp Risotto

  Shrimp Risotto
• See all photos from Stephanie X. for Quartino

5/16/2015

Quartino was definitely one of those restaurants that took my breathe away in Chicago.  There's not many places I can say that about, but everything about Quartino was absolutely perfect.  From the fact that it's an Italian *Tapas* restaurant to friendly, helpful, and beyond informative wait staff, to amazingly affordable and inexpensive prices for fabulous food - it was absolutely the best of the best.  

My friend, Breanna B., and I met for lunch when we both conveniently happened to be in Chicago and Quartino seemed to be the place to go because the menu was super inviting and there was an excessively affordable deal of $25 for a 2-person 3-course lunch.  Little did we know how blown away we'd be with the food and service we were given.  From the most spectacular homemade silky, smooth ricotta with the crustiest-but-soft homemade bread to delicious polpette veal meatballs in a rich and vibrant tomato sauce (one where you could actually taste real tomatoes and not that tin-like taste you get from the can!), to a perfectly moist and succulent half-roast lemon herb chicken, everything was seasoned and cooked to the most penultimate degree.

On top of that, our waiter gave us recommendations on the menu, kept our glasses full, and even told us of some menu secrets to give us a wider range of options to choose from and taste.  We even got to watch him slice the table ciabatta baguette in the most amusing auto-bread slicing machine in the back too!  It was a truly slice of pure heaven.  

So I guess it probably makes sense when I say I will probably remember Quartino for as long as I live.  When you're put face-to-face with quality as good as this where not a single flaw could be found, it's something that just sticks with you.  And It's ridiculously easy to get to too since it's maybe only a block or two down from the Grand Red station!  Because of that, along with the reasons mentioned above, I will probably be making it a point to stop here on all future Chicago visits.

5/30/2015

I've been to Quartino 3 times now and have had a great experience each time. The staff is always attentive and kind and the food is great. I don't think there is a single dish I've had here that I didn't like. One of my favorites are their polenta fries.

The first time I came was late at night with a large group of people, the second time with a smaller group, and the third time with just one other person. The level of service and attention we received each time was the same and that's one of the main reasons (the food too, of course) that I would keep returning to this restaurant in the future.

5/7/2015

This is one of those places I don't frequent often, but when I do I wonder why I don't come here more. We were striking out left and right on Cinco De Mayo and decided to come here. Glad we did! We were able to seat ourselves right a way in the bar area.

Service was great. We decided to go for a half and half pizza. Haft with meatballs and the other half veggie. Crust is thin and crispy and the toppings were fresh and delicious!

5/19/2015

Blah. Another Chicago spot that I am not sure why the reviews are so fantastic. We were packed like sardines (6 of us) into a room upstairs that had the feel of a pool hall. It was SO loud in there that the next day, some of us had lost our voices from screaming across the table the whole night. It sucked.

Nothing on the menu really sounded that great to me at the time and I ordered the tomatoes caprese. It was good- but really how hard is that to make? No one in my party said their food was anything to write home about. We had a good server is about the only real positive thing I can say. Big fat bummer.

7/30/2015

So obsessed with this place. I live in the area and come here any chance I get. The penne alla vodka is divine, as is the selection of cheeses. They have an awesome Napa Meritage, but check out the entire wine list as they have some GREAT bottles.

As others have said, this place is perfect for groups and dates alike. Interior is nice and service is excellent. Last time I was here our server gave us complementary glasses of their house-made limoncello after we finished our meal.

Don't skip dessert! Especially the chocolate cake.

8/9/2015

Quartino!! So finally an Italian restaurant after few months of break... Quartino definitely lived up to all the reviews. Great food and a busy busy place- but considering it was a Friday night, it's a good thing. Highly recommend- Polenta Fries, ear shaped pasta with the sausage sauce (yum yum) and my fav Campania pizza!!

7/16/2015

I really liked Quartino! There were a lot of options. We started off with the Salumeria Tasting - Parmigiano Reggiano Vacche Rosse (this has a very chalky, interesting texture, my sister and friend didn't like this one but I LOVED it), Fontina Val D'Aosta, Salamette, Prosciutto San Daniele, Sicilian Caponata (I really liked this dish), Roasted Beet Salad, and Artichokes Campobasso. We ordered the sausage pizza. I don't eat pizza (I'm not from Chicago so it's forgivable). I took one slice and it wasn't bad, not like amazing but still good. For the entrees, we shared the Beef Short Ribs and the Brodetto Ai Frutti Di Mare. The Beef Short Ribs was really tender and tasted good. The Brodetto Ai Frutti Di Mare is pot of various seafood (shrimp, clam, squid, octopus, and whitefish) simmering inside a thick tomato based broth. It was very, very, very salty. I love seafood so to my surprise I did not enjoy this dish as much as I thought I would. I paired everything with a glass of Malbec. For dessert, I tried the vanilla, lemon, and strawberry sorbets. My favorites were the Salumeria Tasting and the Sorbets. I know I should choose the main entree dishes not like an appetizer or dessert as my favorite, but I felt like the entrees did not stand out to me. Everything tasted good but not amazing. I really enjoyed the Salumeria Tasting though so if I ever go back to Quartino I think I would order everything on their Salumi, Formaggi, and Spuntini menu.

• 

  Salumeria tasting

  Salumeria tasting
• 

  Brodetto Ai Frutti De Mare

  Brodetto Ai Frutti De Mare
• 

  Sausage pizza

  Sausage pizza
• See all photos from Cindy L. for Quartino

1/27/2015

Came here for a friends birthday dinner with 9 ladies, and we loved this place!
It was tapas style... the Italian way! Can't say no to that.

The atmosphere and vibe got us excited the minute we walked in! All the tables are really close so the restaurant is quite loud but everyone looks like they're having a blast. We had dinner at 8:30pm on a Friday, so we expected there to be a crowd.

The food and drinks were fantastic. We shared 2 liters of wine: one red and one white. The toscana red wine was my favorite. As far as the food, our waiter knew there was 9 of us and 1 vegetarian so he made sure everyone got the try everything when it came out.

We ordered:
1) Campinia pizza (ricotta basil tomato): amazing!
2) Polenta fries: a little too plain for my taste.. basically a huge grainy fry
3) Eggplant Parmigiana: cheesy and delicious. not the best eggplant I've ever had, but still delicious.
4) Burrata and beets: I'm not a fan of burrata but the beets and mint were delicious.

The meat dishes were Pancetta-wrapped dates and pappardelle pasta which were both devoured by the party.

The service was fast and attentive, our waiter was knowledgeable about our taste and really catered to our party despite the crowd. He even suggested the best part of the night - the birthday girl's "cake". Usually reserved for bachelorette parties, this cake was a dose of humor and absolutely DELICIOUS. take a look at my picture for more information :)

Overall, fantastic food and service for an incredibly reasonable price and we were all stuffed afterwards.

• 

  Banana and creme puffs with ice cream...in a unique shape :)

  Banana and creme puffs with ice cream...in a unique shape :)

5/31/2015

Quartino is a tapas style restaurant where everything that you order is meant to be shared with your group. Obviously you don't have to do things that way, but that's the main gist of the place.

I came here with my family, and we ended up getting the Margherita pizza, veil, prime roast rib, and tortellini. Overall, the food was good. My favorite dish was the tortellini Alfredo with prosciutto. For dessert we had the Zeppoli with Nutella. (Fried dough)

The service of the food was okay. It did take a while for dishes to come out, and it didn't help that we kept filling up on bread. On the bright side, the bread was absolutely amazing. The tables had oil with sea salt. You can ask for cheese separately, in which the waiters give you your own grated cheese device. The cheese is Pana Di Grana, which is something completely new to me. (And I'm Italian!)

The ambiance of the restaurant was very packed. For being a Sunday night, we were so close together, we could hear conversations from other tables. It sometimes felt a little claustrophobic to the point that I wanted some fresh air or had to distract myself with my phone from the amount of people being backed into a dining room.

Our waiter, Adam, was really nice and answered all of our questions thoroughly. It was cool seeing him and the staff wearing Italian sports jerseys.

Quartino's feels like the place you go to when you can't check out your local Italian grocery store for the same products. Maybe I'm just missing the bandwagon on it. While the food was good, I wouldn't come back here for the tapas style service.

• 

  Fried dough with Nutella was delicious!

  Fried dough with Nutella was delicious!
• 

  Margherita pizza with basil leaves on top. The crust was slightly burnt, but overall very tasty!

  Margherita pizza with basil leaves on top. The crust was slightly burnt, but overall very tasty!
• 

  Tortellini with prosciutto was really good! Probably my favorite dish of the bunch.

  Tortellini with prosciutto was really good! Probably my favorite dish of the bunch.

7/26/2015

Visited with my 3 girlfriends on a Saturday night at 8:30pm. We arrived a little late but were seated promptly. I couldn't help but notice how large the restaurant was with seating upstairs, downstairs, and the outside patio. Our server was great and very attentive. We ordered penne alla vodka, cavatelli, and spaghetti pomodoro with a margarita pizza for a side. Our food was so delicious and truly authentic Italian. Prices were extremely reasonable between $9-$10 for our plates. The portions are on the smaller;however would have been great to get a few different items to split.

I did take off a star because our food was brought out at different times as soon as it is ready. This is not a problem; however, my two friends were served their pasta and completely finished theirs before mine was even served. It made for a very long and drawn out dinner waiting for food to arrive and watching others eat. Overall I would return, but I will keep that factor in mind.

4/22/2015

Had an awesome meal here! Went on Saturday night at 6:30 and got a table without a wait.

For a table of 2 we left full (with leftovers), our bill was under $60 (with a bottle of wine!), and we loved the food!

We had:
-Polpette al sugo di pomodoro (veal meatballs in tomato sauce with fresh ricotta on top)
-Dates wrapped in pancetta
-Asiago cheese and olive assortment
-Gnocchi (with a different preparation)

Everything was awesome...except the olives. Just don't order them. Weird, gross flavors, bad textures, etc. Don't waste your time. Everything else, A+!

Server was attentive, helpful, and pleasant.

Would say I wish the plates had come out together because it would have been nice to eat the dates with the meatballs, rather than just eating a bunch of dates... but everything was so good we didn't mind :)

Thanks Quartino! We will be back!

• 

  Gorgonzola cheese stuffed dates wrapped in pancetta

  Gorgonzola cheese stuffed dates wrapped in pancetta
• 

  Olives and asiago cheese with apricot puree -- Loved the puree and cheese -- would DEFINITELY not get the olives again.

  Olives and asiago cheese with apricot puree -- Loved the puree and cheese -- would DEFINITELY not get the olives again.
• 

  Polpette al sugo di pomodoro -- veal meatballs with tomato sauce and homemade ricotta

  Polpette al sugo di pomodoro -- veal meatballs with tomato sauce and homemade ricotta

1/26/2015

Well, color me happy! Quartino is a refreshing change of pace from all the other high-brow and overpriced Chicago restaurants that I've been frequenting. This place is affordable, fun and most importantly, delicious! Came here with a large group for a friends birthday and we were all thrilled with our experience.

The server was extremely helpful and let us know that this tapas bar was the kind of place to order and share a bunch of dishes, which we did, happily. We had a table of 9, so he was accommodating when certain dishes only had 6 servings and he let us know in advance so we could get one and half orders or whatnot. First, we got two bottles of wine - one red, one white. They came out in interesting bottles and glasses, but as long as it tasted good, then we didn't really care. There was also freshly made bread for the table (always a crowd pleaser). Here's a rundown of what we ordered and had bites of:

1. Pancetta-wrapped dates: a little on the sweeter side for me but the birthday girl loved them!
2. Campinia pizza (ricotta basil tomato): tasty but nothing extraordinary, great thin crust though.
3. Polenta fries: really hyped up on Yelp, but, personally, it tasted kinda bland. The sauce was zesty and made the dish but the fries were kind of a  thicker, mushier version of french fries?
4. Pappardelle pasta: The flavors of the braised short rib was unexpected but quite interesting-everyone was a fan of this dish!
6. Eggplant Parmigiana: Let's be real, this dish is all about the cheese. I think there's eggplant somewhere underneath, but that glorious cheese just won't give it a chance to shine.
7. Burrata and beets: I don't get why this dish is all the rage lately, but no matter where I order this, I just can't get on board.

But the favorite of the night was the dessert. We secretly asked our waiter for a birthday surprise at the end of the night and what a surprise we got! What arrived was some creampuffs and a banana in a -ahem- phallic arrangement (oh yes, I posted a picture). The birthday girl thought it was hilarious and even better, it was delicious!

The eight of us split the check (excluding the birthday girl) and were all pleasantly surprised with the total - so affordable!

• 

  This scandalous dessert of creampuffs and a banana was quite the surprise for the bday girl. But it was actually really tasty!

  This scandalous dessert of creampuffs and a banana was quite the surprise for the bday girl. But it was actually really tasty!

7/2/2015

We were told that we'd have an hour wait on a Wednesday night and it turned out to only be about 25 minutes. But I guess that's better than the other way around! I like that this place feels fun and casual, yet the food uses high-quality ingredients and is presented with class. We started with veal meatball sliders. Very tender veal and I liked the chopped giardieniera; it added just the right amount of spice. Also, the beef carpaccio was really enjoyable. Perfectly pink, sliced paper thin, and a lot of shaved reggiano cheese and some shaved celery.

The linguini with clams was solid, the pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce had plenty of butter and garlic. Needed a little S&P to balance it out. The Artesian sausage and peppers was pretty good. I liked the red sauce as it wasn't too heavy or overwhelming. The sausage had a pretty distinctive fennel flavor; it was fine, but I've had some better. The shrimp risotto was nice and hearty and believe me, they did not skimp on the shrimp. The zucchini and sun dried tomatoes complemented the shrimp but didn't distract from it, so the dish was well-balanced. Also, the Tucan kale salad may hvae been the best surprise of the meal. Organic cherry tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and plenty of pecorino cheese made  this the best kale dish I've ever had. this is a must-get. The rigatoni wasn't too good though. It had burrata cheese and a lamb ragu, so it was a darker red sauce. I enjoyed the addition of the lamb, but the combination of flavors was a little too heavy and the dish just had a salty flavor to it. For dessert, we did zeppole. They were incredibly light and airy. And dipped in that honey, it just made eating them even more fun! Cinnamon sugar might take them over the top though!

I like that you can grate your own Gran Padana cheese at the table, I've never seen this anywhere else. The servers were very friendly and helped guide us through the menu and wine list. It's also kind of cool that they wear soccer jerseys. The prices were pretty fair, it came to $130 for three of us, including a bottle of red wine. Very good overall experience and I would consider returning if I was in the area.

5/11/2015

This is a great group spot whether you're celebrating a friend's birthday or need a place for a work dinner. It is Italian style tapas and everything is definitely made to be shared. If you go with a group of 5-6 work with the waiter to ensure you order enough food, some things you may want to get doubles of, but remember you can always put in another order! We always accidentally order way too much food!

There are lots of different options so make sure you try the salads, pasta, pizza, and definitely don't forget to try the desert!

5/6/2015

While the service was good, I was not impressed with the food here.  

My friend and I shared the vegetarian pizza (very bland and "blah"), white bean dip (decent), and polenta fries (also decent, but nothing special).  None of the dishes really stood out, and nothing was particularly flavorful.

The service was friendly, attentive, and prompt.

I met a friend for lunch on a Monday, and the location was pretty dead.

Given the positive reviews, I came expecting more and left a bit disappointed.

4/19/2015

This place is basically Italian tapas. All plates are small in portion and meant to be shared. That being said the 4-5 that we had were very very good. Calamari and veal meatball sliders were excellent and the homemade pasta was awesome as well.

Would recommend for small or large groups, as its a great place to share plates. Would visit again!

1/19/2015

I've been to Quartino a few times over the years and every time I get super excited to go but then leave a little disappointed.

The good:
- The restaurant is lively, loud, and fun and good for large groups. Love the old Italian style and the silly movies they play on the TVs
- The concept of Italian tapas is great
- Wine selection is pretty extensive with a wide variety of reds and whites in different price ranges and quantities

The could-be-better:
- Overpriced for quantity and quality of food
- Service has always been strictly okay. Given the large size of the establishment, I'm sure the servers are running around all over the place. But it's honestly extremely difficult to catch any of them when you need something.
- The pizzas are good but not the best or most authentic I've had.
- White bean and garlic spread - somewhat blah. Not enough garlic, which is a tragedy.
- Veal meatballs - these were good, as long as you don't mind meat paired with sweet things (golden raisins).
- Ravioli Filled with Braised Pork, Speck, & Fava Beans - this was delicious, but rather pricey for the quantity of ravioli you get
- Linguine with Clams: again, good but not mind blowing
- Eggplant Parmigiana: really tasty, but (you guessed it) not the best I've had

Overall, Quartino's is a fun place to go with a group to share bits of everything. It won't be the best Italian food you'll eat but it's fine!

• 

  Ravioli filled with braised pork

  Ravioli filled with braised pork
• 

  Veal meatballs

  Veal meatballs
• 

  White bean and garlic spread

  White bean and garlic spread

6/9/2015

What can I say about Quartino's? I have been coming here since 2011 and the food still remains exceptional. The wine, phenomenal! And the services, the best in Chicago.
The wine list is so extensive that I feel as though I would need an entire month of regular visitation to sample it all! And, this is a good thing!
I came here for an afternoon lunch with a friend on a Thursday afternoon and my friend was sold on the place. Our waiter, who became Manager during his shift with us was amazing. He even gave us his new manager card and promised a complimentary prosecco upon our next visit.
We nearly ate our way into the ER, the food was so good.
I would give this gem 10 Stars if it were possible. Well done Quartino! You have outdone yourself yet again.

• 

  Menu

  Menu

7/2/2015

Did a bachelorette dinner here with 18 gals! Great service and food as usual.  Great spot for vegetarians and the meat eaters are well taken care of as well. They have a great party package for 40 that includes house red and white wine! There was some oddities toward the end of service that decreased the 5 star rating to a 4 star rating.  The check had to be revised 3 times before it was accurate and the shrimp entree came out at the same time as the tiramisu dessert.  That was the other oddity.  Other than that, this spot has been a solid fave of ours for a decade!

8/8/2015

Stopped by as this place seemed crowded and has a nice outside area. Just had profiteroles and drinks. It is really good, but the waiter is not very friendly.

11/4/2014

Everything is better by the quart. Why? Because.. There are three more quarts to make one. I love Quartino and their small plate concept and alcohol by the quart/half liter/liter. It is perfect for sharing and trying.

I have been here a bunch of times with a bigger group and with just another person. It's definitely different experiences between the two and I had much more fun coming here with a bigger group. You can order a crapload of various plates and shared a liter of drink, or two. It ended up to be not so much at the end. When I came here with just another person, you tend to over order and the check gets to be more pricy.

I was here last Saturday with family and there were six of us. We had so much fun sharing the salumi platter, the manzo pizza, a couple of pasta dishes, the calamari, etc. The calamari was to die for! Big ass and fat round of squids fried to sheer perfection in my eyes. It was one of the best ever calamaris I have ever had! The pappardelle pasta with the braised short ribs ragout was also my fave! The pizza looked like a neapolitan brick oven style, but the crust was nice and intact. There wasn't any wet part. It was pretty damn yummy.

The drinks.. Mh.. I came here for the Bellini. I am not a huge drinker but I'd let my face get warmed and red for their Bellini. While waiting for my party to come, I patiently waited with a half liter of Bellini. They came and finished my half liter. Good thing, we ordered some more.

For desserts, we ordered the Zeppole served with honey and dark chocolate sauce that was worthy of a Soprano episode.

The service was fast and it's cool that way as you weren't afraid to order just enough as you could always order more and it wouldn't take forever. Our server was pleasant and accommodating and she was on it like white on rice about refilling our bread.

I gave four stars because I'm a fan. I didn't give five stars because some of the foods I had better elsewhere. It didn't mean it's bad, but it didn't mean five stars either. Plus, I think $40 for a liter of Bellini was very pricy.

We all had fun getting together, sharing some grubs and caught up on the latest in life. It was a fine Saturday lunch.

• 

  Zeppole

  Zeppole
• 

  Linguini with clam sauce

  Linguini with clam sauce
• 

  Mushroom Risotto

  Mushroom Risotto
• See all photos from Louise M. for Quartino

7/18/2015

This place has amazing food and great service.
I loved the Tortellini with prosciutto and my cousins favorite was the ravioli filled with braised pork and topped with speck.  The pizza was amazing as well.

Our waiter Scott gave us great suggestions and we got to do half orders of some of the dishes so we got to try more of their amazing food!  Everything he suggested was perfect and he was super fun!

I would definitely recommend this place to everyone and go there again myself.

7/17/2015

Fantastic Pizza fresh ingredients.
Tastes authentic too true Italian comparative to my Italian Trips to Rome.
A Must Try!

4/15/2015

So glad I made reservations! This placed was jam packed. And I can see why after having to be rolled out of there. The food was DELIC! The tomato soup was the best out of the 7 courses we ordered. I wish I could ship some home. We ordered the sampler platter and had it hand picked by our waitress, Alessandra (which by the way is top notch! If you go here make sure to ask to sit in her section!). Next was the soup, and then shrimp risotto, gnocchi, penne vodka, broccoli rabe and margarita pizza. The pizza could use a little work; pretty crunchy on the bottom, the basil was way too strong, and there were no tomatoes. The "If You See Kay" wine was really tasty, as well as the Bellini. I will definitely come back here when in the area.

• 

  Penne Vodka

  Penne Vodka
• 

  Margarita pizza

  Margarita pizza
• 

  Tomato soup

  Tomato soup
• See all photos from Alyson H. for Quartino

8/7/2015

Went here for a quick lunch a few weeks back. The service was nice and or food came out in good time. Everything tasted delicious, I have absolutely no complaints! I like that the dishes are intended to be shared, it's a great way to try multiple dishes. Overall a great dining experience, I will return!

5/30/2015

I did not really like it here.

Food was good. The portions were super small though. I understand its a tapas place but everyone at my table (6 of us) left hungry and felt like we paid so much. I wish there was a family platter option or something.

I feel like they had the quality in their food but the quantity being served was not good enough, especially when compared to the price.

10/30/2014

I'll start off by saying if service was a bit faster I would have given five stars. I sat at the bar and the bartender was obviously busy but let me tell you, he held it down! Quite impressive due to him having to be the service bartender as well. I ventured into Quartino on a Saturday afternoon after my business trip wrapped up. I'm a transitioning vegetarian and my god it was so hard for me to find a place that sort of catered to vegetarians in Chicago! Conference food almost always sucks so I had a ravenous appetite from being stuck in Chicago for six days with hardly anything I could eat.

Most places on Saturday apparently serve brunch until around 2pm. I was at sable before I came to Quartino because of the lack of options. Anyway I sat at the bar and decided on my New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Shortly thereafter, I realized the items on the menu were too cheap to be legit and I asked the bartender, "Is this tapas?!" Perhaps he could see my displeased grimace and said they are generally half portions. I was hungry and saw a few things I wanted to try so this response sufficed.

I ordered the penne alla vodka and the garlic shrimp dish. The bartender served me my wine in a rocks glass from a carafe. I was confused for a moment because I've never drank wine out of a rocks glass.  I took a look around and saw that many people were drinking their wine this way and figured this MUST be the way to do it. I was given olive oil, cheese I had to shred myself and a plate of bread. I loved every moment of this seemingly traditional Italian establishment!

My appetite still not curbed, I pondered ordering another round of the pasta and shrimp and opted for the calamari. I made a good decision. It was delicious! I also ordered more wine. I don't think I've ever eaten so much in my life. I thought for sure I'd spent around $60 in this place. I was astonished to get the check and see only a $39 tab. #winning!

Quartino, see you later alligator!

• 

  Sooo good! Penne alla vodka

  Sooo good! Penne alla vodka
• 

  Shrimp

  Shrimp
• 

  Penne alla vodka, Sauvignon blanc

  Penne alla vodka, Sauvignon blanc

3/24/2015

love love quartino. italian tapas are such a great idea because usually they come in such big portions that you have leftovers that are not delicious the following day.

have been to quartino on various occasions and most recently for st. patty's day to down some yummy sangria - amazing. the restaurant is always bustling no matter what time it is (especially on weekends) but its usually pretty easy to grab a seat at the bar when you have fewer than 5 in your party, which is what we ended up doing. plus - had to catch some basketball on tv! the service is fast and friendly, and everyone just seems to really enjoy being there, which i think is a great sign.

on earlier occasions i've tried the seafood stew, meatballs, various pastas and pizzas, as well as their yummy tiramisu - and you can get half portion, which is key to success after a lot of carbs... cant wait to come back to chicago to eat moreee - so much deliciousness in this city.

• 

  Liter of sangria

  Liter of sangria

7/9/2015

Excellent Italian tapas place. Came here with a few colleagues and really enjoyed it. We ordered the prosciutto wrapped dates, the wild arugula salad, the mushroom risotto, the gnocchi and a margarita pizza for 4 women. It was exactly enough for us and I thoroughly enjoyed each dish.

Dishes come out when they are ready, so you aren't starving before the food arrives, portions are enough to share so that everyone gets a taste.  The gnocchi was a hit particularly, they were smaller than the customary slobs of gnocchi and the pesto was delicious. I would absolutely get that and the  prosciutto dates again.

The only thing that irked me was how long it took to get the servers attention.  My party and I sat for at least 10-15 mins to get the bill.  Other than that, would love to go again when I'm back in town.